Sheik Hassan Maamoun

Sheik Hassan Maamoun

Sheik Hassan Maamoun Biography as a Mufi during his service at Al Azhar from 1963 to 1969
This web Page is dedicated to Sheik Hassan Maamoun accomplishment during his service at Al-Azhar.
The entire Maamoun's family contributed to this web page, Aisha Maamoun has compiled all the historical data on Sheik Maamoun Family.
The following biography is compiled and narrated by his daughter Aisha
My father was a student in El Azhar when in 1917 Mr. Mohamed Atif Barakat whose uncle was Saad Zaklool suggested to his uncle to establish the (madraset El kada) The Jurisprudence School inorder to provide the country with specialist judges. He chose from El Azhar some students of whom my father was one of them. He put special program for the students adding the new subjects such as mathematics and French. He was looking forward to graduate students not only knowing Islamic studies but also in contact with modern subjects. This school did not last long because it was depending and backing by Saad Zaklool and his relative Mr. Atif Barakat. Anyhow the graduated shakes were the most famous persons afterwards and they proved to be more specialized in the Fekh and Sunna. They worked in the El Kada El Shari courts all over Egypt . I remember that my father spent years in Tanta and Kafr El Zaiat. When you recall the names of these shakes you will find many who were leading the important positions either in Fatwa or in Courts.
The1936 agreement between England and Egypt stated that the General ruler of Sudan to be English, and the Head of the Jurisprudence courts to be under the supervision of Egypt by The supreme Judge called (Kadi El KOdaa) In 1941 Shake Hassan Maamoun was chosen for this position and spent six years in Sudan where he had his touches on the Sudanese courts and he had a good personality and gained the respect of both the Sudanese and the English personals. His fame reached Egypt before him and the King honored him with rank of Beek. I remembered how his farewell gathering in the station was amazing because thousands gathered there only to say to him we respect you . Both El Mahdi and El Markgani were his friends in spite of their conflict and differences. He was a respectable man well educated and had a charisma makes anyone and everyone likes him and respects him.
After four from returning to Egypt he became The head of The Supreme Islamic Jurisprudence court. When the position of El Mofti was empty because of the death of the Mofti the government chose Shake Hassan Maamoun to become the Mofti of The republic. He spent nearly six years until he resigned and entered the Parliament during the years of El Wehda (unification) with Syria. When this Wehda ended the parliament was dissolved.
When Shake El Azhar died the government listed many names for Gamal Abd El Naser to choose one of them. But he asked about Hassan Maamoun. He knew his reputation from those days of his work in Sudan where Abd El Naser was an officer in the army in Sudan. So he chose him and I remember that night when we were in Alexandria and I answered the phone hearing someone saying is this the residence of Shake el Azhar. I put the phone and told the news to my father and my brothers.
Certain days inspired memories such as yesterday the first of Moharam (the beginning of The Hegria Year) The celebration of this event in Sudan had a different taste. I still remember the large tents for each group of people. One for the Marganie's followers the second for the Mahdie's Followers and the largest of all was the tent of the Egyptian government represented by Kadi El Koda Sheikh Hassan Maamoun. For six years my brothers and I watched the celebration of this occasion and saw our dear father giving his speech surrounded by important personnel. The English Governor used to visit those tents starting with the Egyptian one. Celebration began by the governor walking side by side with Kadi El Koda supervising the guards and in front of each of them the flag of his country. How proud we felt and how full of dignity our father appeared.
From day one in Sudan he was fully aware of his position as the Representative of Egypt and he acted accordingly his position was mentioned in the 1936 treaty between England and Egypt which stipulated that the governor to be English and the supreme Judge to be Egyptian.
When we first arrived to EL Khartoum we stayed in a temporary residence until we receive the furniture from Cairo. Our father rented the house of the previous Kadi El Koda, which happened to be a house of a local Tenant. We stayed in this house only for two weeks even our furniture was left unpacked. What we did not know was that our father went to the English General secretary and told him that he could not accept to have a house less than those houses for the English personnel and in the same district.
The result of this visit was getting a beautiful house with one Acre garden in the front and another garden full of trees in the back. This was the trend of Sheikh Hassan Maamoun in all his life. He never accepted for himself or for his family a standard less than the best he could afford or may be more than he could afford. We were five brothers and two sisters. He and our dear mother were able to give us all the care, love and happiness which I until now trying to give the same to my children and grandchildren.
Memories Of Amin Maamoun
The head of El Maamouns family was an officer in Mohamed Ali Pasha army. He was an either an Albanian or Turkish.
After the end of the war that started in 1805 and ended by Mohamed Ali Pasha becoming the Wally of Egypt, he rewarded his soldiers and our Grand Grand father was one of them by granting them pieces of land.
Our Grand Grand father Esbet El Maamoun received a piece of land in El Delta near El Mansoura City and it was called after him as (Esbet El Maamoun village). I never visited this Esba (small village) and I have very limited information in this respect.
My mother Nefeesa Haggag showed me the map of the railway directory and pointed the location of this Esba. You can find till now the name of the station because the trains stop there. How my grand grand father lived? How many wives he had? Did he have slaves to serve in his Branch? I have no answer. The only thing I remember that the last piece of land, which my father inherited from his late father, was sold by him ending his relation with the Esba and peasants. Also I remember the maid called "Khera" who worked at our house when we were young and she used to say that she is the daughter of our grand father's slave. When her father came to visit her he called my father "The dear son of my Master, I used to hold you on my shoulder when you were young". Both the maid and her father were free persons when I saw them which means that the one who bought the slaves was either the Turkish or the Albanian officer. I think that was normal those days.
Anyhow I know that the grand father of my father settled in Cairo where he bought a big house in Haret El Arbaeen and became the mare of El khalifa (an important district those days) also an important position because he gained his reputation among the people of the district that asked his advice and help. His house is still until now and I know the lady who bought the house.